Goin' with the Flow

gregb

This is a little sub-alpine fir I collected last summer. It was growing in this chunk of lava naturally. I placed it in an old iron water meter cover I found about this time last year. I wired it a month ago as a little sketch for fun. The stuff in the foreground is selaginella, a type of club moss.

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Victrinia_Ensor

All you had to do was pick that up? That's too cool!


Do you live at a high elevation? I ask because Daniel was teaching me about a particular disease that kills true fir species, which they appear to be susceptible to at lower elevations. He said that was the problem with using a true fir as bonsai, eventually they would get it. He always figured it had something to do with the change in elevations. ie... the temp and conditions at their normal elevation would protect them from the problem.

At the last auction the Seattle club had, Daniel had to pull a nice little forest from the offerings, and explained to their owners that the tree was dieing. And that saddly there was nothing to be done for it. The disease displays itself in the new foliage growth. It pushes the growth, then that growth gets limp and dies.

I'll have to ask him what the name of the disease is.... I can't recall.

Anyway.... I hope your little tree is spared that, because I think it's just too cool you picked it up in the woods...

Kindest regards,


Victrinia

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Ms. Vic

Le belle cose prendono tempo...

www.elandangardens.com

gregb

Ms. Vic--the chunk of lava this little tree is growing in was part of a pile and I did have to scramble up the pile and carefully pry this one loose. And even though the tree is small, the tree plus rock is quite heavy.

I have one other sub-alpine fir that I collected from the same general area summer '06. It behaved like most conifers do the first season after collection; the foliage greened up considerably from receiving regular watering and new growth was measured. Different story this year, however. Very strong budding and back-budding all up and down its few branches. New growth is a pleasing glaucous color and there is absolutely no sign of any problems. Your report is the first I've heard of this disease, I'll keep an eye on them for symptoms.

As you can see below my avatar, I live in Hood River and the elevation here is lower than from where the tree came from, but not by that much. Anyway, I'm glad you like the little fella

RedPine

The heavy branch may need to be removed some time but other than that I think thats cool looking little piece of yamadori you found.

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gregb

Good point. An option to removing the heavy branch might be to remove the lower branch